


Thanks For Everything

by wouldratherbeaunicorn



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, This is 100 percent projection ngl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 04:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15307638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wouldratherbeaunicorn/pseuds/wouldratherbeaunicorn
Summary: Zoe Murphy’s about to graduate and start the next part of her life. But not before saying goodbye to the orchard.Or: a Zoe fic, because Laura’s leaving today, guys.





	Thanks For Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Laura posted a picture on Instagram and I’m so fucking sad lmao here’s this. Goodbye to our first original Zoe. With love, Liz.

It had been almost two years. One year, nine months, and twelve days, to be exact. One year, nine months, and twelve days since her older brother had killed himself. One year, nine months, and nine days since her parents thought Evan Hansen had been Connor’s best friend. One year, nine months, and eleven days since Evan Hansen had told them that he barely knew Connor, that he wished he’d been her brother’s friend. That he wished Connor had been found, that he wished he’d been found.

It had been one year, eight months, and twenty-seven days since the You Will Be Found-ation launched. (One year, eight months, and twenty-seven days since Zoe had told Jared that was a dumbass pun.)

One year, eight months, and twenty-seven days. And Zoe Murphy was finally graduating. Granted, she still had a week left, what with finals and all. But she’d done it. She hadn’t let anyone get her down.

And now, she was celebrating. In the orchard, by herself, surrounded by flowers and saplings and plaques bearing the numbers to suicide hotlines. Plaques bearing her brother’s story, Evan’s, her own.

Zoe was celebrating, all alone. It was great.

She wondered who she’d become. Her relationship with Evan was starting to become… something. They were going to the same school the next year, him majoring in biology, and her in psychology. Zoe was tentatively excited for whatever they’d end up meaning to each other. He sure meant a lot to her parents.

The orchard was good for them. It was _amazing_ for them. It saved them. And it saved her, if she was being honest. Throwing herself into something like she threw herself into the orchard. It was what she needed. It didn’t allow her to be destructive, she didn’t have _time_ to be destructive. And Zoe loved it there. A breath of fresh air was usually what she needed, whenever she was down.

She’d have to say goodbye, come August. Zoe would have to go to school, and leave this beautiful place behind. She’d still come to visit, she’d always remember this beautiful place. Just because it was behind her, didn’t mean it would stop being a part of her.

The orchard would never stop being a part of her. It was impossible.

But it wouldn’t be close anymore. And so Zoe was celebrating by herself. Zoe was saying goodbye by herself. She liked being by herself.

“Hey, Zo’.”

She jumped at the sudden, soft voice.

Evan Hansen stood beside her, grinning as she stood to hug him. Zoe held him close, closer than was probably necessary. He squeezed her.

“Hi, Evan.”

Zoe Murphy liked being by herself. But she loved having his company.

A letter sat a few feet away, tucked with a million others, into a hollowed out section of the oldest tree in the orchard. Her scrawled handwriting graced the pages in purple ink, scribbled stars on the edges. The bottom portion was smudged, but the writing was still clear.

_**Thanks for everything,** _  
**_Zoe_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for everything Laura


End file.
